Chinese premier stresses reform, opening-up, high-quality development

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed efforts to vigorously advance reform and opening-up, promote high-quality development, maintain stable economic operation and ensure people's basic livelihoods.

Li, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in south China's Guangdong Province from Wednesday to Friday.

Stressing the importance of power and coal supplies, Li said that the country has adopted multi-pronged measures to ensure and increase the supply of coal and power. He also urged efforts to meet the financing demands of power generation enterprises and leverage market-oriented means to secure the energy supply.

The premier pledged to prevent commodity price hikes from transmitting to the downstream areas of the supply chain, and said that the country is considering rolling out tax-cut policies to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises lower costs.

While visiting Midea Group Co., Ltd., Li demanded securing the power supply for the production activities of enterprises, saying that the issue concerns the country's employment, industrial and supply chains, as well as its economic operation.

At an innovation center, he visited several firms and said that the government will continue to advance the reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulations and upgrade services.

Efforts will be made to optimize the business environment, step up policy support and stimulate the vitalities of mass entrepreneurship and innovation, the premier said.