Chinese premier calls for further efforts to draft outline of 15th Five-Year Plan

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for further efforts to formulate a draft outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development.

Li, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on Monday while presiding over a State Council leading-group meeting on the formulation of the draft outline.

Noting that solid foundations for the formulation of the draft outline have been laid, Li said the next step is to concentrate efforts to refine and improve the draft with the utmost care.

Efforts should be made to better leverage the guiding role of the plan, and set targets, arrange policies and plan projects with the aim of promoting high-quality economic growth, achieving an appropriate increase in economic output, Li said.

He also stressed the importance of developing new quality productive forces, making breakthroughs in the advancement of sci-tech innovation, accelerating the cultivation of new growth drivers, and improving and upgrading China's economic structure.

More efforts should go into planning major projects and platforms that can drive overall development, which would accumulate new growth drivers, foster competitiveness for future development, and provide support for the expansion of domestic demand and the continuity of stable economic operations, Li added.

He emphasized the necessity of combining policy support with reform and innovation, focusing on the removal of bottlenecks, planning new policies and measures thoroughly, and ensuring the new policy mix will deliver greater outcomes.

The premier also called for solid work in responding to social concerns, the launch of a number of major policies and projects that benefit the people, and the cultivation of new economic growth drivers alongside the enhancement of the people's well-being.

Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting. Also present at the meeting were He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing, Liu Guozhong, Wang Xiaohong and Wu Zhenglong.  ■