国内英语新闻:Chinese premier stresses reform and opening-up, jobs during inspection tour

SHANGHAI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed efforts to advance reform and opening-up, promote innovation-driven development, and stabilize employment to consolidate the basis for China's restorative growth.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour in Shanghai from Monday to Tuesday.

Li visited the Shanghai pilot free trade zone (FTZ), Shanghai Jiaotong University, several companies, and the shopping street of Nanjing Road.

At the company of Ximalaya, which operates a popular audio sharing platform, the premier encouraged its content creators to come up with diverse audio products by using modern technology, so as to expand the market and enlarge employment.

During his trip to the Shanghai FTZ, Li said Shanghai should continue to act as a forerunner in reform and opening-up and set an even higher benchmark. While talking with Chinese and foreign engineers of SAP Labs China, a foreign-owned enterprise operating in the Shanghai FTZ, he stressed efforts to develop services for manufacturing by leveraging the industrial internet, deepen opening-up and cooperation, promote the upgrading of "Made in China," strengthen the industrial and supply chains, and foster new growth drivers.

At 51job.com, the country's leading human resource service provider, Li enquired about the current situation of the job market, salary levels, and the employment of college graduates. He urged its employees to further improve their services, as employment has a vital bearing on people's livelihoods and should be prioritized in China's efforts to stabilize the overall economy.

Li chaired a symposium at the Bank of Communications on financial support for the real economy. Proper strength of policies regarding financial support for the real economy should be maintained, and innovation in services should be enhanced while inclusive finance should be expanded, he said.

After listening to business owners in Nanjing Road who said the market has been recovering from the COVID-19 disruption, the premier said it would take time to see normal growth in consumption again, and called for continued efforts in balancing regular epidemic control with consumption recovery.

At Shanghai Jiaotong University, Li conducted in-depth exchanges with professors and scientists. He underscored the importance of stimulating the creativity of scientific research personnel, accelerating the industrialization and commercialization of scientific research findings, and turning them into real productivity.

The premier fully affirmed the achievements made by Shanghai in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic as well as its economic and social development.