Tea is processed on Tuesday in Sanjiang Dong autonomous county of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo by Gong Pukang/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Premier also says sound employment crucial as development faces challenges

Premier Li Keqiang emphasized that difficulties and challenges will confront the country's development this year, and he urged greater efforts to vitalize market entities, stabilize employment and ensure people's well-being.

Li made the remarks on Sunday while taking part in discussions with deputies from the delegation of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress. He was elected by the people's congress of the autonomous region as a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress in 2018.

Li urged the autonomous region to take advantage of the country's policies and fully tap its own potential to strive for healthy and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Noting that Guangxi still has much room for the development of industrialization and urbanization, he called for the region to properly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand.

Li also urged Guangxi to seize the opportunity presented by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free trade agreement, and strengthen its openness and cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Efforts should be made to develop and expand the region's specialty industries and those in which it has a competitive edge, fully leverage its strength in clean energy and forestry resources, and make greater contributions to ensuring the nation's energy security and promoting green development, he said.

The premier underlined the importance of ensuring employment, saying that jobs matter to people's well-being and national wealth.

Noting that China has about 150 million market entities supporting employment stability, Li stressed the need to increase support for these entities through macroeconomic policies including tax reductions and reimbursement, particularly for small and micro businesses and key manufacturers.

He also urged ensuring and improving the people's well-being, consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation, continuously strengthening compulsory education, improving healthcare at the grassroots level, and increasing the supply of affordable housing.

While meeting with political advisers participating in the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Sunday, Li reiterated that development must be the top priority for the country.

He said that the new philosophy must be fully implemented to advance high-quality development.

In addition, efforts must be made to keep economic activities within a reasonable range, Li said, adding that reforms must be intensified and opening-up expanded in order to further stimulate market vitality and social creativity.

Also on Sunday, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and Zhao Leji, who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, took part in meetings with political advisers from various groups and joined them in panel discussions.