Vice premier stresses importance of data quality in national economic census

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of a leading group of the country's fifth national economic census, inspects a private tech firm in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2024. Ding made an inspection of the census work in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang stressed during a Wednesday inspection in Beijing that the source data of China's ongoing fifth national economic census should be true, accurate and reliable.

The economic census should comprehensively and objectively reflect China's high-quality development, grasp new development changes and characteristics accurately, provide information support for scientific planning and policy formulation, and promote Chinese modernization, said Ding, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

On a visit to a state-owned aviation fuel company, Ding said that enterprises should fill in every form truthfully, check every index item by item, and submit data accurately and in a timely manner.

When inspecting a private tech firm, Ding said that personal information and business secrets will be under strict protection, and the data will be limited strictly to economic census purposes.

As China's new economy develops rapidly, statistics related to new industries, business forms and models will provide a reliable basis for the formulation of more accurate and effective policy support, and for the accelerated formation of new productive forces, Ding said.

In an office supplies store, Ding emphasized that there are more than 100 million self-employed businesses in China, and called on these micro business entities to cooperate actively during the economic census to help improve data quality.

Ding also provided encouragement to enumerators in a sub-district office, urging them to strengthen their sense of responsibility and follow procedures strictly. Related census agencies should also improve their coordination and publicity to ensure a smooth census process, he said.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of a leading group of the country's fifth national economic census, inspects an office supplies store in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2024. Ding made an inspection of the census work in Beijing on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)