BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for greater efforts to ensure workplace safety and forestall major accidents.

Li made the remarks in an instruction to a national video and telephone conference on production safety held Saturday.

"Workplace safety is of great importance, and we must always remain alert," Li said in the instruction.

While the country made progress in ensuring workplace safety last year, the task is still arduous as uncertainties remain, Li noted.

He called for efforts to make sure relevant parties fulfill their duties at every link of production and urged strengthened emergency response and rescue capabilities to forestall major accidents.

Vice-Premier Liu He, also head of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council, as well as Wang Yong and Zhao Kezhi, both state councilors and vice heads of the committee, attended Saturday's meeting. Enditem