Premier promotes more innovation in food, pharma, training in Heilongjiang

A multipronged approach should be taken to guarantee the market supply, stable prices, quality and safety of food, Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday during a two-day inspection tour in Heilongjiang province.

Increases in food prices affect people's livelihoods, especially those of low-income families, Li said at a food market in the provincial capital, Harbin.

Heilongjiang is an important commodity center for grains. As he was visiting a paddy at a village in the city of Mudanjiang, the premier said it is necessary for the province to overcome obstacles, improve appropriate management of scale, promote the use of large agricultural machinery and accelerate agricultural modernization.

He encouraged local people to improve the quality of rice and promote the influence of its brands.

The premier also emphasized vocational training during his visit, saying the country's more than 2,000 technical schools should expand enrollment to ease structural imbalances in the labor market.

Individuals with skills will receive more income, help enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and provide support for promoting China's industry toward the medium-high end.

Overall revitalization of Northeast China relies on innovation in reform and opening-up, Li said as he inspected a new economy industrial zone that included small and medium-sized technological enterprises. He called for measures to optimize the business environment to attract and retain talent.

While improving the competitiveness of large-scale enterprises, revitalizing the region also requires promoting the development of private small and medium-sized enterprises and accelerating the shift in the forces driving development.

During his inspection of Harbin Pharmaceutical Group, Li called on pharmaceutical enterprises to undertake certain social responsibilities and guarantee the supply and stable price of common medicines.

Healthcare is a concern of everyone, and the pharmaceutical industry will have a bright future, Li said. He added that he hopes such companies will develop new and safe medicines with high quality and efficacy that also will be accessible and affordable for the people.

That not only will meet the needs of the people, but also win bigger markets for the development of the enterprises, he added.