Li Keqiang's speech at Summer Davos opening ceremony -- full text (3)

We also need to further streamline administration, delegate power, strengthen regulation and improve services. We need to transform government functions more rapidly, improve efficiency, and ensure a level-playing field for all players and a pro-innovation institutional environment. We need to give priority to "simplicity" by taking away undue government powers and delegating them directly to the market and society wherever possible. At the same time, we need to strengthen and innovate in market oversight, explore inclusive and effective prudential regulation, and guide and support the healthy development of new business forms and models. For those players that follow the right direction but have encountered problems, we need to give them prompt guidance, fix the problems and remove potential risks. We need to give them reasonable space for development instead of rejecting them outright. As for those conducting illegal operations or fraud in the name of innovation, we will punish them to the full extent of the law. We need to strictly protect intellectual property rights. We also need to promote the "Internet plus government services" model, and set up an open platform of government public services, so that government data could be shared as much as possible. This will make it easier for individuals and companies to get things done and start up businesses, and it will enhance government efficiency.

We will promote in a coordinated way reforms in the fiscal, taxation, finance, investment and other key areas. We have put in place a nation-wide reform to replace business tax with value-added tax. This major effort to cut taxes and lower the tax burden will facilitate the innovative development of modern service industry, SMEs and micro businesses. We will deepen the reform of the financial system, accelerate the improvement of the modern financial regulatory regime and increase the efficiency of financial services in supporting the real economy. We will also intensify reforms in SOEs, rural areas, investment and financing, foster a social credit system and unleash even greater vitality for economic development. The private sector is an important force driving economic development. We will do more to remove obstacles for private businesses, lift unreasonable restrictions on market access and strive to stimulate private investment.

We will transform and upgrade the economy through opening-up. Opening-up, being one kind of reform itself, will in turn spur reform efforts. No matter how developed China will become, it will always need mutual-learning with the rest of the world, and it will open still wider to the outside. We will enhance our open economy, open wider the service sector and general manufacturing sector, provide more investment opportunities to foreign businesses and foster a fairer, more transparent and predictable investment environment. All companies registered in China, Chinese-funded, foreign-funded, joint ventures or independently-owned, will be treated as equals. Their legitimate rights and interests will be protected, and they will have access to better public services. Facing the current complexities and fluctuations in the international financial markets, China will adhere to a managed, floating exchange rate regime based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of currencies. The fundamentals of the Chinese economy determine that there is no basis for persistent depreciation of the RMB. We have the capacity to keep the RMB basically stable at an adaptive and equilibrium level. China is committed to peaceful development and a win-win strategy of opening-up. We stand ready to work with all other countries to promote inclusive and balanced growth as well as green and sustainable development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tianjin is a big port in the world, where people could start a voyage to sail to the vast ocean. For a giant ship to sail far, sustained and strong driving force is needed. China will work with other countries to seize the opportunities brought by the new round of technological and industrial revolution. Together, we will build new engines of economic growth, promote steady recovery of the world economy through transformation and upgrading, and jointly usher in a better future for the development of mankind. I wish this forum a full success. Endi