BEIJING — Premier Li Keqiang called for more support for primary-level teachers and medical services, asking local governments to better help self-employed individuals and hard-hit service industries.

Premier Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made exchanges with representatives from the education, science and technology, culture, health, and sports sectors at a symposium on Jan 21 to hear their opinions on a draft government work report.

The work report will be deliberated at the top legislature's annual session in March.

Vice-Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.

When exchanging with representatives from a primary school and Peking University, Premier Li vowed to guarantee salaries for teachers in compulsory education and improve teaching conditions for schools in rural, mountainous and remote areas, as well as to better support the appliance of scientific and technological achievements, with micro, small, and medium tech enterprises being included in preferential policies.

Premier Li also stressed training rural doctors and promoting better diagnosis and treatment skills among primary-level hospitals to make quality medical services more accessible.

Premier Li called for attracting more talent to work in museums, improving cultural services for the public, building more fitness facilities and promoting sports knowledge.

Learning about difficulties brought by COVID-19 to self-employed catering businesses, Premier Li said governments at various levels should lower taxes for them and provide preferential policies for service industries including tourism, catering, and retail to help them tide over the difficulties.