Premier Li Keqiang met with leading individual business owners on Dec 5 in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

“As pioneers in the past, many of you have become entrepreneurs, making irreplaceable contributions to the nation,” said the Premier.

“Many of your businesses are close to people’s lives, and provide effective and diversified goods to the public,” said Premier Li, adding that non-public businesses play an important role in employment.

As reform of the business system moves forward, individual businesses are mushrooming nationwide in a thriving market environment, creating social wealth and powering up the economy. Many individual businesses have grown to become medium and large enterprises, said the Premier.

According to Premier Li, the government cares about the development of individual businesses, and will build a better environment for them. The State Council recently issued a circular on safeguarding property rights, calling for strict protection of individual business owners and private entrepreneurs.

Enterprises should enhance brand awareness and stick to honest operations, providing more contributions to employment, innovation, and national development, said the Premier.

In his talks with the business people, Premier Li said that the government understands the hardship of starting a business, and would continue to streamline administration and optimize services, creating a fair market environment.

The government will continue to develop the State economy, while also encouraging and supporting the growth of non-public sectors, said the Premier.