Vice-Premier Liu Yandong vowed to enhance the environment for mass entrepreneurship and innovation during an inspection tour in Beijing and Tianjin.

Liu emphasized the importance of boosting mass entrepreneurship and innovation by lowering barriers, strengthening public services and streamlining administration to fully implement the innovation-driven development strategy.

“We are entering a crucial stage of building a comprehensive well-off society,’’ Liu said, and added that mass entrepreneurship and innovation are new engines to achieve and maintain a medium-high-level growth rate and move toward a medium-high-level of development.

Liu visited Innovation Works and a number of innovation related organizations in both Beijing and Tianjin and met with entrepreneurs at Zhongguancun, known as Beijing’s silicon valley to get a fuller picture on their ideas to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation.

Impressed by the achievements made by these organizations, Liu praised the government bodies of Beijing and Tianjin and said they had done an outstanding job in supporting medium and small companies as well as providing effective technological services.

Liu said the government should step up policy support, such as simplifying registration procedures and improving financing systems, to give special support to start-up companies and provide an amicable environment to help hatch and nurture newly established firms as well as encourage young people to start their own businesses.