Premier calls on Jilin to upgrade industries

Province asked to further reduce taxes, fees, institutional costs for enterprises

Premier Li Keqiang has called on Jilin province to upgrade its traditional industries, including the auto industry and agriculture in particular, to unleash the vitality of both State-owned and private enterprises.

Traditional industries play a significant role in Jilin's economy, and the province, as a major industrial base, should further deepen reform and opening-up, Li said at a panel discussion with National People's Congress deputies from the Jilin delegation on Saturday in Beijing.

The government should do what market entities expect, the premier said, calling on the province to further reduce taxes, fees and institutional costs for enterprises. The government should make concerted efforts to improve the business environment and strengthen the real economy, he said.

In the meantime, Li said rural vitalization should be carried out to develop modern agriculture and ensure food safety.

The premier said Jilin should also overcome key difficulties to help people improve their lives, including providing job opportunities, eldercare, education and healthcare. The province should ensure timely and adequate distribution of pensions, which should increase at a reasonable pace, he said.

Jilin is one of the four provincial regions listed in the revitalization plan for old industrial bases in Northeast China. As head of the State Council leading group for revitalizing old industrial bases in the region, Li paid two visits to Jilin after taking office in 2013.

In recent years, Northeast China has encountered much slower economic growth than before. Heavily dependent on traditional industries, Jilin's GDP rose just 4.5 percent last year, lower than the national average of 6.6 percent.

Bayanqolu, Party secretary of Jilin, said that amid the gradual improvement of the local economy, the province should keep a cool head.

Jing Junhai, the provincial governor, said new market entities registered last year went up by 14 percent in Jilin, and the province will further streamline administrative procedures, strengthen compliance oversight and guard against risks. Meanwhile, the province will accelerate the building of 55 towns featuring local industries and promote the integration of agriculture with other sectors.

The province will deepen reform and opening-up to attract more foreign investment, Jing said. The province aims to promote innovation and reform in new energy vehicles and domestic brand cars, while furthering cooperation with Germany's Volkswagen and Japan's Toyota, according to Jing's report on the provincial government's work in January.

Wang Run, chairman of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co Ltd, suggested that manufacturers should continue innovation and master core technologies. Original innovation should be strengthened, shifting from simply applying existing technologies, he said.