At a meeting at the Central Party School addressed to provincial cadres November 25, Vice- Premier Wen Jiabao urged local governments to raise the living standards of Chinese to promote economic development.

Wen, member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, said that increasing consumption, improving living standard have a direct bearing on economic growth.

"Only when people's living standards improve can reform be fully embraced by the Chinese people, we enjoy a stable social environment and focus on developing the economy," said Wen.

The Vice-Premier also urged for economic restructuring. He said that China appears to have a surplus of products but it also needs to import high-tech and high quality products.