Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said unswerving confidence and arduous work are needed to achieve the goals of a steady and relatively fast economic development and control of soaring consumer prices in the country.

Wen visited Guangdong Province - the country's reform and opening-up forerunner, on Saturday and Sunday, for research on current domestic economic situation.

The premier visited steel, shoes, digital machinery and high-tech enterprises in Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen to know their production, sales and products development.

More efforts should be made in the research and development and improvement of technological levels to create home-made brands and increase competitiveness, he said.

Just as with the whole nation, Guangdong has a good social and economic situation, but also faces many new difficulties and problems, Wen said. Some exports-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises in the Pearl River Delta area have felt the increasing impact of the world's economic growth slowdown and shrinking foreign demands, he noted.

The fundamental way to deal with the challenges is to deepen reform and opening up and promote development in a scientific way, said the premier.

During the visit, Wen talked with staff and managers of enterprises and urged them to attach importance to innovation.

The key to the development of a country, a nationality and an enterprise is innovation, Wen said. Only continuous innovations can enable the Chinese nation stand up in the world and enterprises become leaders of their industries, he said.

Guangdong has made great achievements in economic and social development in the past 30 years, realized a historic jump and contributed a lot to the country's reform and opening up and modernization construction, Wen said. The province should continue to take the lead in the country's reform and opening up, he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2008)