Chinese vice premier encourages entrepreneurs to innovate

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday called on entrepreneurs to blaze new trails amid China's strategy to push development through innovation.

Zhang made the remarks while speaking with entrepreneurs on Friday, a day after he visited Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing to talk with entrepreneurs and technology developers in companies like Sinovac, Baidu, Lenovo and Sugon.

The strategy of driving development through innovation is a key decision made by the central government at a critical stage for reforms and growth, Zhang said.

The strategy is expected to help optimize the industrial structure, save energy, protect the environment, safeguard ecological systems and protect people's health, he added.

"To better implement the strategy, we must let enterprises play their principal parts fully. Remarkable efforts must be made to boost innovative capacities, cultivate strategic emerging industries and boost technology-oriented companies," Zhang said.

"We must carefully study rules on fair competition and upgrade fiscal, taxation and financial policies to encourage entrepreneurs to innovate. We must inspire various entrepreneurs and talents to innovate and put entrepreneurs' enthusiasm and initiative into full play," he said.

Despite some positive changes in the global economy, deep influences of the financial crisis are lingering. Domestic growth also still faces difficulties and problems, although the domestic economy has shown continued signs of stabilization and positive momentum since the fourth quarter of last year, the vice premier said.

In carrying out further economic work, more efforts should be made to stick to the overall strategy to advance in a steady way, turn downward pressures into opportunities for transformation and development, and speed up the shifting of the economic growth pattern, Zhang said.

The key to coping with various risks and challenges lies in prioritizing steady growth and inflation control, with more efforts made to expand domestic demand, especially in boosting residential consumption, optimizing the investment structure and stabilizing exports, Zhang said.

To improve growth quality and efficiency, it's imperative to boost technological innovation, adjust the industrial structure and safeguard ecology and the environment, as well as boost the quality, added value and technology of products, Zhang said.

He urged effective measures to tackle pollution, including PM2.5, which has become a major point of public concern.

Property market research should continue to promote social stability, he noted.

Zhang said enterprises should take the lead and serve as the main force in scientific innovation, restructuring and environmental protection.