CRI听力:Premier Urges Preparedness amid Rising Economic Pressure

Chinese premier Li Keqiang is suggesting more measures will be taken to maintain Chinese economic growth amid the rising pressure on the domestic economy.

The comments have been made while the Premier was attending a symposium in Beijing on the current economic situation.

Addressing the session, which has included officials, experts and entrepreneurs, Li Keqiang says the current economic slowdown remains within a reasonable range.

"In the first quarter, our economy ran generally stable. Major indicators of growth remained in a reasonable range, with a steady employment, increasing incomes and declining energy use. New economic power kept growing. However, on the other hand, we are aware of the ever-rising downward pressure. The development of some industries has remained static and regional development still shows a great imbalance. Under the circumstances, we need to deeply analyze the current economic situation so that we can fully understand the trends."

Li Keqiang has also hinted the government is looking at all necessary measures to ensure economic stability, including adjusting their macroeconomic policies.

"The government should be intensifying its efforts toward targeted macroeconomic regulations to counter the downward pressure and build a favorable market environment. Actually, we have flexible measures available to maintain growth, promote employment and raise efficiency. There are still multiple policy tools available as options."

The Chinese government has an economic growth target of around 7 percent this year, down from the 7.5-percent growth set for last year.

First quarter economic results in China are due out on Wednesday.