Targeted control measures to boost steady growth

BEIJING - China's targeted control measures, to tackle economic issues in a "precise, prompt and appropriate" manner, are a new way to counter challenges and boost steady growth amid uncertainties about the Chinese economy.

China will attach greater importance to targeted control measures to keep economic growth in a proper range, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told the nation's top academicians and scientists Tuesday.

'Targeted moves' will help secure yearly goal

Risk control crucial to growth

The Chinese economy faces heavy downward pressure and imbalanced regional development. It grew 7.4 percent year on year in the first quarter, marking the weakest pace in 18 months. The country aims for an annual growth rate of around 7.5 percent for 2014.

Former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the Chinese government fully understands the universality and urgency of the issues it faces, closely related to the current characteristics of the Chinese economy.

Currently, the Chinese economy faces challenges such as the combination of old and new problems, pressures from home and abroad, and obstruction of the reform.

China used to seek stimulus plans once its economy was stuck in impasse. Now it is time to change this fixed way of thinking. The Chinese government decided to adopt targeted control measures because it has learned from the past.

At the beginning of this year, Li had a clear judgement. "We don't want to let today's stepping stone become tomorrow's stumbling block," said the premier, reminding his people that the course of China's comprehensive reform should not be disrupted by any single incident for a certain period and that gaining immediate interests could make trouble for the future.

However, doubts linger among overseas observers on whether China will carry on its reform.