Chinese vice premier expects steady, healthy growth

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli has urged positive action to deal with pressure on the economy and to pursue steady and healthy growth.

He made the remarks during a tour of central China's Hunan Province from Thursday to Friday.

China remains at a stage of industrialization and urbanization with great potential in a resilient economy, he said.

"There are more hopes than difficulties," said the vice premier. "We should do more to keep the economy within an appropriate range and improve the quality of growth while maintaining a medium-high speed," said Zhang.

He asked officials to push ahead with supply-side structural reform and address overcapacity and "zombie enterprises" in an active and steady way.

The vice premier called for more efforts to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to foster new growth areas.

Zhang also asked officials to ward off systemic or regional risks and improve ordinary people's life. Endi