Premier Li Keqiang's report on the work of the government (2)

Esteemed Deputies,

We owe all the achievements made over the past year to the sound leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and the concerted efforts of the Party, the military, and the people of all our nation’s ethnic groups. On behalf of the State Council, I wish to express our sincere gratitude to all our people, including public figures from all sectors of society, and to other parties and people’s organizations. I express our sincere appreciation to our fellow countrymen and women in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and in Taiwan, and to Chinese nationals overseas. I also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the governments of other countries, international organizations, and friends from all over the world who have shown understanding and support for China in its endeavor to modernize.

Yet we must not lose sight of the many problems and challenges China faces in pursuing economic and social development. The internal forces driving economic growth need to be strengthened. Overcapacity poses a serious challenge in some industries. Some enterprises face difficulties in their production and operations. Economic prospects for different regions are divergent. Fiscal imbalance is becoming great. And potential economic and financial risks cannot be overlooked.

Environmental pollution remains grave, and in particular, some areas are frequently hit by heavy smog. We need to further strengthen our steps to combat pollution. There are also many problems causing public concern in housing, education, healthcare, elderly care, food and drug safety, and income distribution. It is distressing that there were some major accidents in the coalmining, construction, and transportation sectors.

There is still room for improvement in government performance. Some reform policies and measureshave not been fully implemented. Excess fees and charges being levied on businesses and difficulties facing individuals who want to access government services remain standout problems. We still see problems oflaws and regulations being enforced in a non-standard, unfair, or uncivil way.A small number of government employees are lazy and neglectful of their duties or shirk responsibility. Corruption often occurs in some sectors.

We must confront these challenges head-on,be ready to bear the weight of responsibility, and do our all to deliver. We must do justice to our historic mission and live up to the great trust placed in us by the Chinese people.