Premier Li Keqiang called for further reform and opening-up to drive up growth and tackle problems, keep the economy running in an appropriate range, and accomplish major goals this year.
He made the remarks during his visit to Jingdezhen and Nanchang in East China's Jiangxi province on Nov 14 and 15.
Premier Li went on an inspection tour to check the drought in Jiangxi province on Nov 14.
Upon arrival, he headed to Shantian reservoir in Jingdezhen city, which provides water for irrigation of more than 10,000 mu of farmland. At present, its water level has fallen to the lowest in history.
Not only Jiangxi, but several southern provinces have been suffering from drought conditions, from summer to autumn, the Premier said. He urged local authorities to step up drought-relief work to minimize losses and ensure people's access of water.
After learning that the cost of grain farming has risen but the return remains low, Premier Li said, as agriculture is the foundation of all industries, support policies for agriculture must be improved, food production must be stabilized, and farmers' profits in planting grains must be protected to feed 1.4 billion people on our own.
Later he visited a few households to learn about villagers' earnings and inquired about how often they would have meat, and if any pigs or poultry were being raised.
Although their income is increasing, farmers are still not rich, Premier Li said, adding that the government should support large-scale pig farming as well as backyard livestock, and unreasonable farming restrictions must be removed to help them increase income through various approaches.
Premier Li also visited the Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue in Jingdezhen, whose predecessor is a State-owned ceramics factory.
He praised the rich porcelain works and products made by the ceramic artists and business owners.
Porcelain is a significant symbol of Chinese traditional culture, said the Premier, who asked them to develop high-end porcelain, improve China's porcelain-making industry and build the time-honored porcelain city into an international porcelain capital.
On Nov 15, Premier Li paid a visit to the largest wholesale center of agricultural products in Nanchang, asking for a closer look at the pork prices and market situation.
Talking about the relatively high logistics costs, the Premier said the government should study ways to lower transportation costs and bring the pork prices down.
Establishing wholesale markets in major cities will be encouraged, the Premier said.
The government will spare no effort to lower pork prices, and stabilize the supply for the coming festivals, he added.
Premier Li inquired about aircraft manufacturing in Jiangxi Hongdu Aviation Industry Group and encouraged staff members to concentrate on continuous learning.
He said millions of technical talent would be needed to push the manufacturing industry to the medium-to-high end.
High quality is a precondition for absolute safety, comfort and competitiveness, he said, asking the staff members to build a safe and comfortable large aircraft with their hands.
Premier Li inspected the Jiangxi provincial social security center and heard reports about the work of improving the business environment.
He praised the reform carried out by the Jiangxi government to help eliminate negligence and carelessness by local officials in fulfilling their duties.
Effective governance will lead to more innovation in society and better life for people, he said.
After learning that the social security card combines multiple functions such as social security funds, settlement of medical expenses, financial payment, and discounted government loan applications, Premier Li said it is a platform not only for social security, but for entrepreneurship, and the experience can also be promoted.
Premier Li praised the achievements made by Jiangxi province in recent years, and hoped that it will make more progress in reform and opening-up, as well as ensuring and improving people's livelihoods.
