Premier Li Keqiang urged on June 24 the use of Internet Plus to create a new growth engine and promote the transformation and upgrading of the economy.

“We may now stand at the same starting line with the developed countries in information and especially in the Internet and even have more advantages than them in some aspects,’’ the Premier said at an executive meeting of the State Council.

One of the topics of the meeting was to deploy the implementation of the “Internet Plus” strategy, creating a new driving force for economic development.

The Premier said that promoting Internet Plus offers an important opportunity for economic transformation.

“China has nearly 700 million netizens and an enormous Internet market,” the Premier said. “Gathering collective wisdom will make great things happen.”

The Premier urged the use of the Internet and Chinese know-how and expertise to stimulate wisdom of the people.

Employment of graduates has been stable this year and the Internet Plus has played an important and supportive role, he said.

Their employment is closely connected to the Internet Plus, which creates wealth and also eased social pressure, he added.

Generally speaking, Internet Plus played a vital role in business startups, employment, innovation and economic upgrading, the Premier said.

Small and micro-businesses use the Internet to innovate, thus offering new opportunities for the market and steering market demand, and Internet Plus also brought new development opportunities for big companies, he added.

The Premier believes that the Internet Plus strategy has still untapped potential.

He gave two examples from his recent inspection tours.

When he visited the Zhongguancun area, he learned that a sports-majored college student used the mobile Internet to help others find sports partners and also provide medical and health information.

A Yiwu online shop owner makes customized products in his factory after he receives orders online, a clear example, the Premier said, of using the Internet to promote the upgrading of manufacturing.

“Sitting in the office, we are unable to imagine the role of Internet Plus in these areas, therefore its role cannot be limited and we should view it from a development approach,” he said.

Traditional industries have their own advantages, and the Premier urged the combination of traditional industries and Internet Plus to unleash more vitality.

He said that introducing market competition through reform to offer more choices for consumers is one of the successful experiences of China’s development. And Internet Plus should also follow this principle, said the Premier.

He said that when China joined the World Trade Organization at the beginning of this century, it caused a sense of panic among many businesses. But over a decade of competition with international businesses has proved that Chinese entrepreneurs are not afraid of competition, he said.

Whenever Chinese enterprises can win over consumers while allowing them to have free choice they truly occupy the commanding heights in global competition, he said.

History is created by people and the people are full of rich and fantastic ideas so the development of Internet Plus should be decided by the consumers and the people, he said.

Promoting Internet Plus needs concrete measures and more importantly it offers society the confidence in development.

He also stressed the need to increase safety awareness in developing Internet Plus and urged stronger supervision and the creation of an environment for fair competition while lowering the entry thresholds, thus promoting the development of related industries.

Administrative streamlining, combining supervision with power delegation, optimizing services, promoting business startups, mass innovation and Internet Plus are all policies along the same lines, he said.

Putting these policies in place will help cultivate a new driving force for the economy and create a new growth engine for future development, he added.