On December 17, 2023, He Wenbo, Party Secretary and Executive President of China Iron and Steel Industry Association, led a team to Shougang Group for a tour of office, and had in-depth exchanges and discussions with Zhao Minge, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shougang Group, on the core issues of the industry, such as capacity management mode, steel export orientation, China’s green and low-carbon standards and international discourse system, green financial policy, and common technology research and development organization mode, and reached a number of consensuses.
Members of the Party Committee of Steel Association, Deputy Secretary-General and heads of relevant departments, leaders of Shougang Group Qiu Yinfu, Wang Hongjun and Wang Jianwei, and heads of strategic development department, operation and finance department, safety and environmental protection department, technical research institute, Zhongshou Company, marketing center, procurement center and other relevant departments attended the exchange discussion.
He Wenbo presided over the traveling office meeting. At the meeting, Jiang Wei, Deputy Secretary, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Party Committee of the Steel Association, introduced the progress of the key work of the Association from six aspects: comprehensively promoting the "232" key work system, striving to guide industry self-discipline and balance between supply and demand, promoting the "three-oriented" development of the industry through collaborative innovation, comprehensively strengthening and deepening international exchanges and cooperation, strengthening industry-related basic services, and promoting the construction of industry cadres and talents from a high starting point. Qiu Yinfu, deputy secretary of the Party Committee, director and general manager of Shougang Group, reported on Shougang’s focus on the "six foundations" and laying a solid foundation for Shougang’s high-quality development from the aspects of the group’s operation and the steel industry’s operation, the main indicators completed the progress target, and the main profit indicators outperformed the industry, and the key work arrangements for 2024.
After listening to the operation of Shougang, He Wenbo spoke highly of Shougang’s development achievements. He said that in 2023, under the severe market situation, Shougang’s operating efficiency still achieved steady growth, which is not easy, reflecting the solid foundation of Shougang’s work, and also reflecting the results of Shougang’s years of persistence in promoting industrial restructuring and business mode transformation, which brought confidence to the overall development of the industry in the downturn of the steel market. Shougang is very clear and pragmatic in its current work deployment and future development planning. He talked about three feelings: first, Shougang is the benchmark of the industry in terms of green transformation, especially in terms of the effectiveness of ultra-low emission transformation, and is an example for the whole industry to learn. Second, Shougang has continuously increased the proportion of high value-added products through unremitting technological innovation, and achieved remarkable results, contributing major profits to the main steel industry. Third, Shougang’s judgment on the development situation of the industry and its future-oriented planning reflect the depth of understanding and the integrity of the layout, which can provide useful reference for the industry.
During the exchange, He Wenbo and Zhao Minge and other Shougang leaders made in-depth discussions on such issues as adhering to the correct steel export orientation, optimizing and improving the way of controlling production capacity, increasing the recycling of recycled steel and speeding up the green transformation of the steel production system.
He Wenbo hopes that Shougang can work well with the Association in three aspects in the future: First, Shougang has a thorough understanding of the new mechanism of capacity management, and hopes that Shougang will contribute more wisdom and strength in the clear direction. Second, according to the viewpoint of three-dimensional dynamic evaluation of economy, ecology and safety, the Association and Shougang jointly studied how to promote the green transformation of China steel, and focused on how to improve and build a green steel discourse system and actively develop healthy international relations. This is a common topic in the industry that has just started, and Shougang should become an important driving force. Third, Shougang’s green transformation started early and has a lot of experience. I hope to discuss with the association the specific path of how supporting policies and measures such as green finance can land in the steel industry.
Zhao Minge welcomed the arrival of He Wenbo and his party and thanked the Steel Association for its support and help to Shougang. He said that at the beginning of the year, Secretary He led a team to Shougang to carry out joint study of the central group, which deepened Shougang’s understanding and grasp of the macro situation and industry situation. At the end of the year, Secretary He once again led a team to Shougang to carry out a roving office to discuss the core issues of iron and steel industry development, which made us deeply moved and felt great responsibility. The Steel Association has played an important role in the high-quality development of the steel industry. I hope that the Steel Association will continue to care for and support the reform and development of Shougang.
Zhao Minge introduced Shougang’s experience, overcome difficulties and achieved results since the 14th Five-Year Plan from the strategic level and the implementation level. Zhao Minge pointed out that strategic thinking is very important. We observe, think and analyze problems from a strategic perspective, and constantly enhance the principle, systematicness, foresight and creativity of our work. Shougang formulated and implemented the 14th Five-Year Plan, followed the "3+2" step arrangement of "laying a solid foundation for high-quality development in the first three years, and realizing the transformation of development quality in the next two years", focusing on "six foundations", and taking laying a solid foundation for high-quality development as the main line of work in the first three years, which made the strategic plan have a clear timetable and roadmap, maintained strategic strength, and promoted the implementation of the plan, and achieved the best operation in the history of a hundred years. The implementation of the strategy is very critical. We should not take what we say as it is, take what we have done as it is, and do not take refuge. No matter how big the difficulties are, we should bite the bullet and chew on the "hard bones", hammer after hammer around the "six foundations" and 24 indicators, keep our feet on the ground and charge repeatedly, greatly improve the liquidity of assets, strive to run well in the four "tracks", and make progress and retreat to form an industry with strong anti-cycle.
Zhao Minge expressed his opinions and put forward suggestions on issues such as "capacity management", "expanding two markets", "double carbon" and "technological innovation". He stressed that it is necessary to stand at the high end, connect with the high end, adhere to the high end, promote the export of high value-added steel products, promote the steel industry to achieve high-quality development in connecting with the world and participating in high-level competition and services, and help accelerate the construction of a new development pattern. It is necessary to intensify efforts to tackle key problems in the innovation of iron and steel enterprises, organize and unite the forces of iron and steel enterprises to jointly develop and innovate common technologies in key areas and important aspects, and promote the overall competitiveness of the iron and steel industry.
Zhao Minge said that Shougang should thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Central Economic Work Conference, maintain strategic strength, persist in striving for stability and promoting stability through progress, promote technological innovation to become the first competitiveness of Shougang, realize the transformation of development quality to higher efficiency, resilience and sustainability, and accelerate the creation of a Chinese-style modern Shougang scene.
During the exchange and discussion, the two sides believed that during the critical period of the transformation and development of the steel industry, the roving office of the Steel Association faced the reality and challenged the difficult problems, and through full communication with the "helm" of various steel enterprises and the heads of relevant departments, it was of great practical significance to focus on the core issues affecting the development of the industry and discuss countermeasures and solutions, which would promote the high-quality development of the industry.