Recently, the State Council issued the Five-Year Plan of Action for Implementing the People-oriented New Urbanization Strategy (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"). Four major actions, 19 key tasks and related policies and measures were put forward, including the implementation of a new round of urbanization of agricultural transfer population, the improvement of urbanization level in potential areas, the cultivation of modern metropolitan areas, urban renewal and the improvement of security and resilience. In terms of
overall requirements, the Plan of Action clearly States that the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC should be thoroughly implemented, with the fundamental purpose of meeting the growing needs of the people for a better life, and with the reform of the system and mechanism as the driving force, the quality and level of urbanization should be steadily improved. Fully release the huge potential of domestic demand contained in the new urbanization, continuously promote the effective improvement of economic quality and reasonable growth of quantity, and provide strong impetus and solid support for Chinese-style modernization. In advancing the work, we should pay attention to the principles of people-oriented, following the law, classified measures, intensive and efficient. In terms of the
main objectives, the Plan of Action proposes that after five years of efforts, the channels for agricultural transfer population to settle in cities will be further opened, the system of providing basic public services in permanent residence will be further improved, and the coordinated promotion of new industrialization and urbanization in potential areas will be significantly accelerated. To cultivate and form a number of modern metropolitan areas with strong radiation driving force, the shortcomings of urban safety and resilience have been effectively supplemented, and the urbanization rate of the permanent population has increased to nearly 70%. In terms of
organization and implementation, the Action Plan emphasizes that we should strengthen the Party's overall leadership, improve the implementation and promotion mechanism, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation. In order to strengthen the support and guarantee for the construction of new urbanization, the Action Plan also proposes to make overall use of the central financial construction funds, local government special bonds and other funding channels, improve financial, financial and land policies, and increase support for urbanization construction; Provincial governments should formulate their own implementation plans in light of actual conditions, and cities and counties should refine their policy initiatives and project lists according to local conditions, so as to effectively promote the implementation of the objectives and tasks.
New urbanization can play an important role in expanding domestic demand. Zheng Bei, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the regular policy briefing of the State Council that from the perspective of investment, new urbanization can effectively drive investment in municipal utilities, public services and residential housing. Preliminary estimates show that China's urbanization rate has increased by 1 percentage point, which can stimulate the new investment demand of trillion yuan scale.
At present, the urbanization rate of China's permanent population has increased from 53.10% in 2012 to 66.16% last year, and the goal of "increasing the urbanization rate of permanent population to 65%" proposed in the 14th Five-Year Plan has been achieved three years ahead of schedule. The above action plan proposes that after five years of efforts, the urbanization rate of the permanent population should be raised to nearly 70%.
Cement is an essential basic raw material for infrastructure construction, and with the continuous advancement of new urbanization, the demand for cement will further recover.
Especially in the potential areas such as "central and southern Hebei, northern Anhui, southwestern Shandong, southeastern Henan, southwestern Hunan, western Guangdong and Eastern Sichuan" mentioned in the section of "Implementing the Action of Promoting the Urbanization Level of Potential Areas" in the Action Plan, the new urbanization is expected to accelerate breakthroughs. These potential areas have a large population, a relatively low level of urbanization, convenient location and transportation, a certain industrial development foundation, and a demand and power for urbanization, which are also the key areas for the recovery of cement demand in the future.
