Premier Li Keqiang inspected Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Dec 23 where the eighth China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting is to be held.

Peng Qinghua, secretary of the Sichuan Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Yin Li, governor of Sichuan province, accompanied the Premier.

Premier Li emphasized the importance of upholding Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. He said that decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council should be fully carried out to boost reform and innovation and to arouse vitality to solve difficult problems. High-quality development is required, with economy operating within a reasonable range and people’s well-being improved.

Premier Li visited a construction site at Chengdu’s public transport transfer center, where he inspected project investment and engineering construction. The Premier talked with migrant workers there, asking them how much they could earn in one month and whether their wages are paid on time and in full. Premier Li then came to the migrant worker’s dormitory area and inspected their meals and accommodation.

The Premier said that migrant workers are the backbone of national construction, and they are pillars of their families. They are also helpful in expanding effective investment.

“We should say ‘well done’ to migrant workers and create more jobs for them,” the Premier said, adding that responsibilities must be strictly fulfilled to ensure migrant workers to get their wages on time and in full, so as to better support their families and raise their children. "This is perfectly justified, so arrears of wage should never be allowed,” he added.

Premier Li asked related departments to resolve the delinquent issues of government projects and punish the responsible units and individuals for breaking a contract and long-time defaults.

At the online governance center, Premier Li heard reports on the development of a free trade area and construction planning for Tianfu New Area. He also inspected the local government’s practices of handling public services via the internet as a way to increase efficiency.

The Premier said that West China has great development potential, and stronger opening-up and an optimized business environment should be relied on to further release the potential. "Our reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, and improve regulation and services must be deepened, which is the key to all of our work," the Premier added.

“Sichuan is praised as the Land of Abundance, so you should offer sunshine-like warm services for enterprises and people, to set up a new model for the convenience of enterprises and people and to create a new development highlight around the whole country,” Premier Li said to staff members at the on-line governance center.

When visiting the Jingronghui mass entrepreneurship and innovation zone, Premier Li praised the progress made in the zone in developing the new economy, fostering new growth drivers and upgrading mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

He said abundant human resources are China's unique advantage in development. Efforts should be made to improve the ecosystem for innovation and starting businesses, unlock market vitality and creativity in society, and inspire more people to participate in innovation and business start ups.

Premier Li encouraged local entrepreneurs to engage in their careers and make good use of their expertise to add brilliance to the city.

He also hoped entrepreneurs from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to carry out exchanges in opinions and technologies in a bid to realize their dreams and strengthen China-Japan-ROK cooperation.

Concerned about the financing issues of small and micro enterprises, Premier Li inquired about loans at a branch of the Bank of Chengdu. He said China will enhance support to small and medium-sized banks that directly deliver services to small and micro firms promote sharing of enterprises-related information needed in making loans, improve performance assessment, and establish an appropriate mechanism of division of work among large, medium and small banks in serving micro and small firms.

He also hoped small and medium-sized banks raise the proportion of loans issued to small and micro businesses.

Having heard advice from the employees of small and micro firms, Premier Li said China will continue to take measures, such as overall and targeted cuts of required reserve ratios, re-lending and rediscount, to reduce the real interest rate and financing costs, and ease financing difficulties and lower financing costs of small and micro firms.

Premier Li praised achievements made by Sichuan province in its economic and social development, and hoped the local government will implement the decisions taken at the Central Economic Work Conference, and take concrete actions under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee to make new progress.

Xiao Jie, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council, also attended the event.