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Review of the 66th executive meeting of the State Council

Mo Jingxi
Updated: Oct 25,2014 10:33 AM     english.gov.cn

The highlights of the 66th executive meeting of the State Council:

Opening remarks: Rule of Law

Premier Li Keqiang said governments and departments at all levels should comprehensively advance the rule of law at the 66th executive meeting of the State Council on Oct 24.

Li asked authorities to accelerate efforts in building a government based on the rule of law, echoing decisions reached at the Fourth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which ended a day earlier.

“To promote the rule of law, the first thing is to establish the supremacy of the Constitution,” he said.

Fair investment environment

The executive meeting agreed to offer wider access to social investment, especially private capital in key areas such as hydroelectricity, nuclear power and telecom enterprises, thus breaking unreasonable monopoly and market barriers, and ensuring a fair investment environment in terms of rights, opportunities and rule.

Economic growth rate is closely related to employment and residents’ income. Given the current weak economic demand, particularly in the field of investment, Premier Li called for measures to boost demand.

“Apart from the government’s efforts, innovative investment and financing mechanisms in key fields should contribute to attracting social and private investment,” he said.

Public-Private Partnership

Premier Li encouraged the promotion of public-private partnerships to integrate social funds and government-led investment.

He asked departments to learn from similar cases in local governments, and spread the good practices, in order to broaden investment.

As for the exit mechanism, Li said the government will properly handle investment recovery and asset disposal once a project is finished, and also enable the capital to be invested in under-funded areas such as public service.

The Premier noted the necessity of further market reform and reform dividend in innovating investment and financing mechanisms.

Ensuring warm winter for quake victims

The meeting also adopted an overall plan listing six key tasks concerning the post-quake reconstruction of Ludian, Yunnan province, including recovering residential houses, preventing and controlling disaster, and developing industries featuring local characteristics.

According to the plan, in the next three years, the working and living conditions, as well as economic and social development in quake-hit zones will be fully rebuilt, and will be even better than before the earthquake.

“Ludian is located in the extremely cold area. Have the cotton tents been dispatched in place?” Premier Li asked.

Officials informed the Premier that they have transported another batch of more than 7,000 cotton tents to the disaster area, and have adopted measures to protect the existing tents and keep them warm.

“While it takes time to restore the quake-hit houses, the government should do whatever it can to ensure the quake-affected residents a safe and warm winter,” the Premier said.