Internet Plus set to push China's economy to higher level: Premier

BEIJING, March 15 -- The favorable wind of the "Internet Plus" is set to push the Chinese economy to a higher level, Premier Li Keqiang said Sunday, commenting on fast development of the country's e-commerce.

At a press conference after the conclusion of the annual legislative session, he told reporters that he himself also bought things like books on the Internet.

"I am willing to advertise for new businesses including online shopping, express delivery and e-commerce. They have given a strong boost to employment and consumption for our country," he said.

The "Internet Plus" action plan was unveiled in the government work report that Li delivered to national lawmakers on March 5.

The plan aims to integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing, to encourage the healthy development of e-commerce, industrial networks, and Internet banking, and to help Internet companies increase international presence.

Li also played down the impact of online shops against physical stores, citing his visit last year to a booming Chinese village amid development of e-commerce.

The Qingyanliu Village, Yiwu City, in east China's Zhejiang Province was dubbed China's No. 1 e-commerce village, also known as the Taobao village.

"Some 800 households in the village have registered over 2,800 online stores, which illustrates huge space of entrepreneurship," he said.

Li then visited a physical store near the village and the owner told the premier that he also opened an online store and gained more competitiveness after uploading pictures and videos to display commodities to attract more consumers.

"An online-offline interaction has instead created more vitality and growth space," Li said.

The premier also asked all store owners, both online and offline, to be honest with their businesses and to put the quality of products above everything else.