Premier Li Keqiang has stressed that development is China’s primary task, and is the key to “resolving problems.”

China is under great pressure for completing the task of maintaining a steady growth, especially when it is facing complicated domestic and global environment, Li said during an inspection tour in the southernmost province of Hainan after attending the Boao Forum for Asia there.

Li stayed on the island, China’s largest special economic zone, from April 10 to April 11. But a detailed itinerary of the inspection was given to Xinhua on April 13.

Premier Li Keqiang (front), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, selects snacks at a store in Haikou, South China’s Hainan province, April 11, 2014. Li paid an inspection tour to South China’s Hainan province from April 10 to 11 after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

To keep China’s economic growth within a “reasonable range,” local authorities must dare to shoulder responsibilities and work out effective measures to advance reform, expand domestic and international markets and nurture development momentum, Li said.

But economic development must not base on sacrificing the environment, as ecological protection is also the productivity and “green fortune,” according to Li.

The premier made a special visit to the Dongzhai Harbor, where thousands of hectares of mangrove grow. He went there to learn about how the once endangered coastal forest has been restored.

Premier Li Keqiang (2nd R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pays a visit to the Industrial and Commercial Administration Bureau of Haikou City in Haikou, South China’s Hainan province, April 11, 2014. Li paid an inspection tour to South China’s Hainan province from April 10 to 11 after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

“Protecting the mangrove and other precious ecological resources is for the sake of the nation and for creating a better environment for the people,” he said.

Li also went to the Administration of Commerce and Industry in Haikou, the provincial capital, to learn about how the central government’s policy of cutting the red tape is implemented.

The premier was told that the number of newly registered companies had soared 77 percent year on year in the past three months, with the registered capital growing by 247 percent.

Since March 2013, the then newly-elected Premier Li has been trumpeting streamlining administrative approvals and cutting red tape to help the market function efficiently.

Premier Li Keqiang (R front), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pays a visit to Dongzhaigang Mangrove Forest Nature Reserve in Haikou, South China’s Hainan province, April 11, 2014. Li paid an inspection tour to South China’s Hainan province from April 10 to 11 after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

In his first government work report delivered to the National People’s Congress in March this year, he pledged to abolish or delegate another 200 administrative approvals to governments at lower levels, following the 416 last year.

Better management must also be in place to ensure a fair market while giving more freedom to the companies, Li said, praising a local system to blacklist companies with illicit practice.

During the inspection, Li stepped into a roadside store and bought two bags of native snacks. He encouraged the province, which is noted for its tropical fruit products and seafood, to produce more specialties to drive consumption.

The premier also visited the Haikou Harbor.

Premier Li Keqiang (2nd L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, talks with tourists at Dongzhaigang Mangrove Forest Nature Reserve in Haikou, South China’s Hainan province, April 11, 2014. Li paid an inspection tour to South China’s Hainan province from April 10 to 11 after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]