Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday social inequality and injustice remain a woe in Chinese society and he would exert utmost efforts to redress the problem.

He made the remarks at a press conference after the closing of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

"We are still facing many unfair problems in fields such as income distribution and the judicial sector. The problems demand more attention from us," Wen told hundreds of domestic and foreign journalists.

"I will exert my utmost efforts to redress the problem during the rest of my tenure and I believe future leaders will continue to pay more attention to it."

The premier said the nation's development should not only promote economic growth, but also pursue social fairness and justice to ensure every individual's all-round development in a free environment.

The fundamental purpose of China's economic development is to satisfy the people's increasing material and cultural demands, while social justice forms the foundation of social stability, Wen said.

"Social justice shines much brighter than the sun," Wen said, pledging more attention to the poor and disadvantaged groups "because they account for the majority of society."

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2010)