Creating new dynamism through reform and innovation

In the four months ahead, we will coordinate the efforts to stabilize growth, promote reform, readjust the structure, improve people's livelihoods and prevent risks. We will continue to improve and innovate in the thinking and approaches of macro-control, strengthen targeted macro-control on the basis of range-based macro-control, promote structural reform and readjustments, carry out reforms in key areas of systemic importance with every determination to forge ahead and focus on addressing long-term problems. First, we will continue to press ahead with revolutionizing the government itself and further intensify efforts to streamline administration and delegate powers. We will deepen fiscal and taxation reform, promote reform of the budgetary management system so as to use public funds in an equitable and effective way, and continue to expand the pilot programs for business tax to VAT reform which is conducive to the development of the service sector, particularly the R&D companies. We will deepen financial reform, promote the pilot programs for non-state owned banks, sort out and standardize the limit requirements on access to the financial sector and develop a multi-tiered capital market. We will deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises. We will deepen price reform and improve the pricing mechanisms for energy products, medicine and medical services. We will deepen reform of the investment system and implement government purchase of service contracting, public-private cooperation models and franchise operation system. Second, we will continue to focus on tackling the deep-seated structural problems, further increase the effective supply of public goods to generate effective demand, strengthen weak links in investment, increase household consumption and nurture new growth areas. Third, we will continue to ensure efficient use of both the existing and the increase of fiscal and financial resources and further scale up support for the real economy and emerging industries and businesses, for the greater benefit of rural areas, agriculture and farmers, as well as micro-businesses and the service sector. These efforts are aimed at turning the gains of reform into new dynamism of development that would bring more benefit to the people. We have all the confidence, ability and resources to overcome the difficulties and realize the major goals of China's economic and social development in 2014.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China is still a developing country. We must give top priority to economic development. Only development will deliver progress. Ultimately, it is only development that will resolve all the problems in China. We cannot advance without changing the growth model, nor can we advance without adequate development. Of course, the development we pursue should be one that promotes employment, increases incomes, improves economic performance and boosts energy conservation and environmental protection. It should be scientific development, namely, sound and balanced development that is in keeping with the laws governing economic activities, social development and nature.

Currently, there are many destabilizing and uncertain factors in the global economy, and China's economic development also faces an array of overlapping and deep-seated problems. It is in a critical stage where its path upward is particularly steep. In the latter half of the year and beyond, we will further accelerate the transformation of the development model, push forward structural readjustment through structural reform, make good use of the "golden key" of innovation and promote institutional innovation as well as innovation in science and technology. By so doing, we will be able to maintain a medium-high growth rate, move toward medium-high level of development, create more value and upgrade the Chinese economy.

We will accelerate the pace of institutional innovation. Innovation has been the ultimate cause of the leapfrog development of the Chinese economy. China's innovation involves not only technology but more of institution, management and growth models. China's reform and opening-up for the past three decades and more has in itself been a huge innovation drive, and the huge, untapped potential of innovation and development in the future still lies in institutional reform. Just imagine how big a force it could be when the 800 or 900 million laborers among the 1.3 billion population are engaged in entrepreneurship, innovation and creation.