Reform and opening-up key to meeting targets

China will advance reform and opening-up with greater strength as part of its efforts to meet this year’s targets and tasks for economic and social development, an executive meeting of the State Council emphasized on Friday.

The meeting, chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, decided on the division of responsibilities in executing the key tasks in the Government Work Report, which was approved at the closing meeting of the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress on Thursday.

The meeting urged greater reform to overcome difficulties and boost development, as it helps to unleash market vitality and public creativity, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Deepening reform of government functions, and fostering a market-oriented and world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework and promoting fair competition will feature prominently on the government work agenda, those at the meeting said.

The meeting also called for the extensive application of practices used to reach out to and meet the needs of businesses during the response to COVID-19, and for restrictions to be removed unless they are needed for disease containment purposes.

More initiatives will be taken to pursue opening-up to cultivate a big market for the whole world that is attractive to more foreign investors.

The meeting also called for full appreciation of the complexity and severity of the current situation and close monitoring of the evolving dynamics of the global COVID-19 and economic situations.

Problems that emerge during policy implementation should be carefully analyzed and properly addressed to inform improvements to existing policies.