HANGZHOU — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua has stressed the need to work in a down-to-earth way to facilitate stable and healthy development of foreign trade.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a trip to East China’s Zhejiang province from July 26 to 27.

He voiced determination to continue opening-up and implement the existing opening-up policies as soon as possible.

He visited several trade, electronics, mechanics, energy and textile companies in the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo to learn about their situations regarding production, marketing and innovation.

Asking about problems and challenges facing the enterprises, Hu encouraged them to improve product quality, strengthen global cooperation and explore diversified markets, to foster global product chain and trade and services network.

The vice-premier asked local authorities to closely follow changes in foreign trade conditions and help enterprises deal with business problems.

He also ordered them to further reform government administration, enhance protection of intellectual property rights, improve business environment and ease enterprises’ burdens.