China to seek progress while maintaining stability: Premier

BEIJING - China will maintain the basic tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability this year, said Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

Addressing a plenary meeting of the State Council, which discussed a draft version of the government work report, Li said emphasis should be put on raising the quality and benefits of development and making supply-side structural reform the central theme.

Li said the upgrading of the real economy should be promoted, and there should be no let up when improving people's well-being.

The draft version of the government work report, which will be delivered at the National People's Congress in March, will be distributed to government departments and local governments to solicit opinions, according to a decision made on Wednesday.

More opinions could help improve the government work, Li said.

Li urged government departments and local governments to implement the key tasks in the first quarter to lay a solid foundation for the whole year's growth.

More should be done to follow emerging changes in economic development and take targeted and effective measures accordingly, Li said.

He also urged further deepening reforms to release market vitality and responding to social concerns more timely to ensure stable economic growth.

On Monday, Li chaired a seminar to solicit opinions from representatives from the education, science and technology, culture, health, and sports sectors and members of the public on the draft government work report.