Li stresses regional economic structure adjustment

China should make greater efforts to adjust regional economies in order to achieve sustainable development in the nation's economy, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday.

"Sustainable development in the economy, improvement of people's livelihood and promotion of social justice are this government's main tasks. To meet the goals, China should feel the pulses of the economy and the orientation of macro-economic policies," Li said at an economic meeting in Gansu province.

Li said China is in a transition period and should strive to improve the quality, efficiency and sustainability of economic growth. It should also allow people to benefit more from economic development.

"For this purpose, China should make the most of reforms, stimulate the market's vitality and achieve sustainable and healthy development of the economy," Li said.

Li said the biggest problems in the country's economic structure are clear when you compare urban and rural development as well as unbalanced development in certain regions of China.

He said central and western China have the most room for improvement, with a higher priority on developing the western regions.

Li urged more efforts to support infrastructure construction, labor-intensive industries and environmentally friendly industries. Economic reforms should be given a higher priority over eradicating poverty in western regions, Li said.

Financial support and preferential policies are needed, especially in impoverished areas of western China.

Economic growth should be environmentally friendly, said Li, who added that ecological problems like deforestation be taken into considering within economic reforms.