Li urges efforts to promote economic upgrading in W China

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits the Yangling Area of China (Shaanxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone during an inspection trip in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Premier Li Keqiang had underlined the importance of reform and innovation in promoting the economic development and upgrading in west China.

Li made the remarks during an inspection trip in northwest China's Shaanxi Province from Monday to Tuesday.

At the Yangling Area of China (Shaanxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, Li spoke highly of the administrative reform carried out in the area, which allows people to apply for business licenses through WeChat, China's leading social media app.

He called for continued reform and opening-up to create a business environment where institutional transaction costs are low, both domestic and foreign businesses are willing to come, and high-quality human resources would stay, so as to help boost the development of west China.

The premier also visited the Yangling Agricultural Cloud Co., where he saw a cloud map of big data information helping farmers.

He said the agricultural sector depends on weather as well as "cloud," and it will help strengthen the sector by combining agriculture and modern technology such as the "Internet plus."

At a mass entrepreneurship and innovation park, the premier said mass entrepreneurship and innovation has great potential for development in rural areas, and asked local governments to create a good environment in this regard to help farmers increase their income.

Li also met families in need as he visited a poor village called Dawanhe, a rural area of Baoji city, inquiring about details of their incomes, children's education and social security system.

Saying there was great potential for poor villages in the region to develop tourism and distinctive agricultural undertakings, the premier said relocation of the poor from the mountainous region should take into consideration of both the villagers' resettlement and their new jobs.

At a state-owned machine tool manufacturing company in Shaanxi which customized its products, Li said the market today is quite different and individualized needs are becoming more and more important.

He urged state-owned enterprises, the big ones in particular, to push forward supply-side structural reform and promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation to upgrade the Chinese economy to medium-to-high end.

During the trip, Li also visited a rundown area in Baoji city, where he said China had moved 80 million people out of substandard housing in recent years, but there were still tens of millions left behind. The premier called upon local governments to step up efforts to improve people's living conditions.