New Chinese Premier Li Qiang focuses on manufacturing

(Patria) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang used his first trip outside Beijing to reiterate Xi Jinping's call for increased innovation and reliance on its own resources, emphasizing
the priority China places on countering US efforts to curb its technological ambitions, Bloomberg reported.

Li, who became premier on March 11, visited electric vehicle maker BYD Co. and Apple Inc. supplier Lens Technology Co. during his trip to the central province of Hunan.

He also hosted a forum on advanced manufacturing attended by numerous executives, including Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi Corp., state television China Central Television reported.

Li urged executives to "promote high-level technological independence and self-reliance, and push forward the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing industries." Companies should "accelerate the transformation of Chinese manufacturing into Chinese creations and Chinese products into Chinese brands," he added.

Earlier this month, Xi used a major speech to rally China's private sector to help overcome "containment by the US and other countries." Those comments offered rare direct criticism of the US, China's largest trading partner, which has rallied Japan and the Netherlands to restrict exports of some advanced chip-making machinery to China, primarily to curb military expansion.

Li also used his first address as premier to say that China will protect the rights of entrepreneurs and continue to support private enterprises.