New Chinese Premier Li Qiang sought to reassure the country's private sector on Monday, saying that the environment for entrepreneurial businesses will improve and that equal treatment will be given to companies, regardless of ownership type.
Li, the former Communist Party chief of Shanghai, was installed as premier on Saturday during the annual session of China's parliament and is tasked with reviving the world's second-largest economy after three years of Covid-19 curbs, newswires reported.
Making his public debut in a wide-ranging media conference, the close ally of President Xi Jinping said China will take measures to boost jobs and urged officials at all levels to "make friends" with entrepreneurs.
"Developing the economy is the fundamental solution for creating jobs," Li, 63, said in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing after the closing of the parliamentary session.
Li faces challenges including weak confidence among consumers and private industry, sluggish demand for exports and worsening relations with the United States.
A career bureaucrat in some of China's most economically vibrant regions, Li talked up his track record with the private sector, which has been rattled in recent years by a sweeping regulatory clampdown targeting industries including internet platforms and private education.
"Indeed, last year there were some incorrect remarks about the development of the private economy, which worried some entrepreneurs," Li said in his televised address, without giving details.
"Private entrepreneurs or enterprises will enjoy a better environment and broader space for development ... we will create a level playing field for all kinds of market entities and we will make further efforts to support private entrepreneurs to grow and thrive."
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