Premier’s Inner Mongolia visit sends message

Premier Li Keqiang’s two visits to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in the past two months demonstrate key priorities of the Chinese government’s work, says an editorial in China Business News. Excerpts:

Apart from talking with local entrepreneurs and officials in Inner Mongolia, Premier Li visited shantytowns, inspected the underground sewage system and did research on technical schools in the capital of Inner Mongolia.

Li’s visit and inspection of Inner Mongolia symbolize the government’s priority of resolving issues related to people’s livelihood.

The reconstruction of the shantytowns in cities, the infrastructure construction in cities and the region’s vocational education are actually three outstanding issues related not only to the government’s work, but also the Chinese economy.

The local governments should divert attention from pursuing economic growth to improving people’s lives and creating jobs.

Fixing up shantytowns in cities can make poor people happy while boosting investment and consumption.

Meanwhile, the underground sewage systems of Chinese cities are always blamed for the failure of floodwaters to drain. Many local governments appreciate only the good appearance of roads, squares and buildings, and do not care about the underground infrastructure, which cannot be seen at ground level.

Finally, the State Council decided to step up the government’s support for vocational education to meet the rising demand for skilled workers and technicians in China’s manufacturing industries.

The employment issue is a social issue and an economic issue as well. Li’s research of vocational education sent a clear signal that the central government will continuously adjust its policies that support it.

Local governments should heed the signals from Li Keqiang’s visit.