Urban-rural integration vital

Premier calls for the promotion of people-centered new urbanization

Premier Li Qiang has called for taking solid steps to promote people-centered new urbanization so as to provide a strong impetus for economic development and improved livelihoods.

Li made the remarks during a fact-finding trip to Sichuan province and Chongqing from Wednesday to Friday.

The premier's inspection tour came following the just-concluded Central Economic Work Conference, which called for promoting the development of new urbanization with county-level cities as main carriers, and forming a new pattern of integrated urban-rural development.

China launched its new urbanization plan in 2014 with an aim to boost ecological progress, enhance urbanization quality, expand domestic demand and promote rural-urban coordination.

Last year, the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic planner, unveiled major tasks promoting new urbanization and integrated urban-rural development, vowing to deepen reform of the household registration system and help migrant workers better integrate into cities.

During his visits to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, and Chongqing, Li learned about the two cities' efforts to promote new urbanization as well as advance the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, an important strategy the nation has adopted to foster a key growth region in western China.

He highlighted the importance of increasing the cities' security resilience while enhancing the quality of urban development.

Efforts should be made to strengthen planning and coordination in accordance with national strategic needs, vigorously promote interconnectivity of the transportation network, enhance industry and innovation cooperation, and boost policy coordination, he said.