China must perfect its systems of operating State-owned businesses abroad to better evaluate their performance and hold misbehaving staffers accountable, Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday.

The goal is to "ensure the safe operation of State-owned assets and that their value is maintained or increased", Li said in Beijing at the State Council's annual meeting on maintaining clean government.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, holds the meeting each year to review the government's work in fighting corruption and other misconduct over the previous year and to outline priority tasks that will boost self-discipline.