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China's State Council on Friday decided to set up a leading group that will be responsible for the organization and implementation of the 5th national economic census, aiming to address major problems in the census.

According to an announcement released by the government, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang is the leader of the group. The office of the group is located in the National Bureau of Statistics, and it will supervise the implementation of the agreed matters of the leadership group and strengthen communication and coordination with relevant regions and departments.

On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stressed that the country's economic recovery is in a critical period. Authorities should conduct solid monitoring of economic operation, situation analysis and countermeasure research, as well as rolling out pragmatic and effective policy measures in order to further stabilize market expectations, boost confidence in development, consolidate and expand the good momentum, and promote sustained overall improvement in economic performance.

On December 1, 2022, the State Council said that the country's fifth national economic census will be conducted in 2023 to take stock of economic and social development.

The census will be carried out via an input-output survey, the State Council said in a notice, adding that the survey will provide scientific and accurate statistical information to support the improvement of macroeconomic governance, scientific formulation of medium- and long-term development planning, as well as comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country.

The objects of the census include all legal entities, industrial activity units and self-employed households engaged in secondary and tertiary industry activities in China, including the mining, manufacturing, finance and real estate sectors.

The notice emphasized the need for data quality and called for efforts to ensure that the census data is true, accurate, complete and reliable.

Global Times