China able to meet economic goals this year: Li Keqiang

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday expressed China's confidence in achieving its goals for economic development in 2015.

"We will be able to meet the main goals and tasks of economic and social development for this year," said Li while addressing a reception held at the Great Hall of the People to mark the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Li said facing a sluggish world economy and mounting downward pressure at home, China has adopted effective range-based, targeted and discretionary macro-regulation to ensure that China's economy continues to move in a positive direction despite some ups and downs, Xinhua reports.

"The economy still operates within a reasonable range, with the quality of development further improved and systemic risks effectively checked," Li said.

The premier said as the world's second biggest economy, it is not easy for China to maintain a growth rate of around seven percent on the $10 tn GDP baseline, and it will be even more challenging to build a brighter future from the new starting point.

"Facing opportunities and challenges, we must bear in mind our mission and the great trust people have placed on us, meet people's expectations in our work of governance, and continue to push forward reform, opening-up and socialist modernization drive," Li said.

The government will also keep up efforts to improve the environment, thus delivering a greater sense of happiness to our people, Li added.

He added that China will stay firm on the path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, expand its converging interests with the rest of the world and work together to usher in a new era of peace and development of mankind.