Chinese Premier Li Qiang visits Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town, a biopharmaceutical enterprise, in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, Dec 13, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING – Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for taking solid steps to promote people-centered new urbanization so as to provide a strong impetus for economic development and improved livelihoods.

Li made the remarks during a fact-finding trip to Sichuan province and Chongqing from Wednesday to Friday.

The premier's inspection tour came following the just-concluded Central Economic Work Conference, which called for promoting the development of new urbanization with county-level cities as main carriers, and forming a new pattern of integrated urban-rural development.

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China launched its new urbanization plan in 2014 with an aim to boost ecological progress, enhance urbanization quality, expand domestic demand and promote rural-urban coordination.

Li highlighted the importance of increasing the cities' security resilience while enhancing the quality of urban development

Last year, the National Development and Reform Commission, the nation's top economic planner, unveiled major tasks promoting new urbanization and integrated urban-rural development, vowing to deepen reform of the household registration system and help migrant workers better integrate into cities.

During his visits to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, and Chongqing, Li learned about the two cities' efforts to promote new urbanization as well as advance the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, an important strategy the nation has adopted to foster a key growth region in western China.

He highlighted the importance of increasing the cities' security resilience while enhancing the quality of urban development.

Efforts should be made to strengthen planning and coordination in accordance with national strategic needs, vigorously promote interconnectivity of the transportation network, enhance industry and innovation cooperation, and boost policy coordination, he said.

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Li also called for advancing urban renewal based on local conditions, improving public facilities, and better meeting the needs of residents in improving their quality of life.

Premier Li Qiang visits Changan Auto Global Research and Development Center in Chongqing, Southwest China, Dec 15, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

During the fact-finding trip, the premier also presided over a symposium on promoting new urbanization and heard reports by relevant officials from the NDRC and those from Sichuan and Chongqing.

He emphasized the need to adhere to a people-centered approach in advancing new urbanization, give prominence to promoting the urbanization of rural migrant populations, and continuously improve the level and quality of new urbanization.

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As the year draws to a close, it is essential to ensure that migrant workers' wages are paid in full and on time, and to take solid measures to ensure workplace safety, he said.

China's urbanization rate of permanent residence residents hit 65.22 percent in 2022. The nation is looking to accelerate urbanization as part of its broader efforts to boost domestic consumption for economic recovery.