Nation can meet growth challenges, premier says

Premier Li Keqiang joins a photo call with delegates to a global think tank summit in Beijing on Friday. [Photo by FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY]

China is capable of "maintaining mid- to high-speed growth" despite challenges, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

The nation's economic fundamentals were performing well, Li said, adding that the economy is running "within a reasonable range".

He said major economic indexes since May, including those for industrial production, investment, consumption, and exports and imports have remained stable or increased, while employment has also improved.

The premier was speaking during a seminar at the Great Hall of the People with scholars, politicians and business leaders attending a global think tank summit.

He said the government would continue macro controls and strengthen targeted adjustment, along with governance reform and efforts to encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

"We have the capability and conditions to keep the Chinese economy growing at mid- to high speed," he said.

Li proposed making full use of the country's strong production capacity to launch bilateral and trilateral cooperation with developing and developed nations to help realize continued revitalization of the global economy.

The fourth Global Think Tank Summit, being held in Beijing on Friday and Saturday, has drawn an attendance of more than 800.

The summit, with the theme "Global Sustainable Development: New Path After 2015", provides a platform for exchanges among think tanks from around the world.

John Podesta, a former adviser on climate change and energy policies to the US president, said he was impressed by Li's aim to become actively engaged with European, US and other colleagues on the need to "align our strategies to produce stronger green growth amid the climate challenge".

Podesta, a steering committee member at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, also said he believed Beijing should "play a stronger leadership role in producing common high-level standards, both social and environmental, for international financial institutions".

He said the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will help to fill the need for "tremendous infrastructure investment" in the region.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn