Chinese premier stresses stable economic growth

BEIJING -- Premier Li Keqiang stressed on Tuesday that China must deepen reforms and maintain stable, sound economic growth as the country is still facing a complicated situation.

Li made the remarks while taking part in a panel discussion with political advisors from the economic and agricultural sectors at the ongoing annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, the country's top political advisory body.

China made hard-earned achievements in reforms last year despite increasing downward pressure on economy, said Li, who called for deepening reforms to inject dividends into the economy.

The country's economy grew 7.7 percent in 2013, overshooting the official target of 7.5 percent, But a shaky start this year, as shown in soft manufacturing activity, has put the focus on how the government will pace and sequence its overhauls while guaranteeing solid growth amid the world's fragile recovery.

Li urged economic restructuring and transformation of the growth model to improve the quality and efficiency of the economy.

He asked for further streamlining of administration and delegating more power to lower levels, as well as building a fair environment for development.

Li said China will vigorously develop a mixed-ownership economy and will deepen fiscal and taxation reforms to better serve the real economy.

China will also speed up experiments in the Shanghai pilot free trade zone to boost development and reform through opening up, he said.

Read more:

Feb manufacturing PMI drops to 50.2	Nation to intensify reform drive