China has a labor force of 900 million, of which 170 million are considered high-quality talent, with higher education or special skills. This is an incomparable advantage of the nation, Premier Li Keqiang said in a report to the 17th National Congress of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) on Oct 24.

The Chinese people are diligent, intelligent, and resilient, Premier Li said.

The labor quality is improving over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, and high-quality talent has become the backbone of China’s development, he added.