China's premier chairs symposium on economic situation involving experts, entrepreneurs

BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday convened a symposium featuring experts and entrepreneurs to seek their opinions on the current economic situation and economic work in the next stage.

Participants said China's economy had remained generally stable in the first half of 2026, with new growth drivers expanding at a faster pace and the momentum for high-quality development continuing to build despite external uncertainties.

After hearing their remarks, Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China's economy is transitioning across the board toward high-quality development, with increasingly solid foundations for its long-term sound development.

Li stressed that economic work in the second half of the year bears directly on achieving the annual development goals and getting the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) off to a good start.

He called for maintaining strategic resolve in pursuing high-quality development, intensifying counter-cyclical adjustment, making full and effective use of existing policies, and studying and preparing incremental policies in advance to consolidate and expand the momentum of steady and improving economic performance.

Li urged systematic efforts to unleash the potential of domestic demand by expanding the supply of quality services, combining investment in physical assets with investment in human capital, advancing major infrastructure networks and improving public services.

He also called for a smooth transition between old and new growth drivers, faster digital and intelligent transformation of manufacturing, deeper integration of advanced manufacturing and modern services, and the large-scale commercial application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Li, in addition, stressed efforts to stabilize employment and support enterprises, respond promptly to the concerns of enterprises, improve the business environment and stimulate market vitality through reform. Enditem