Chinese Premier calls for better industry standards

BEIJING - China must improve the standards of its products and services, the State Council said on Wednesday.

"To push the Chinese economy to a higher level, the key lies in improving products and services," said a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council.

Premier Li Keqiang, presiding over the meeting, called for better products, citing problems such as a lack of unified standards, low standards and weak management.

China will improve laws and regulations related to standardization, making them a guarantee for quality. The government will revise current national, local and industrial standards. In areas such as health, safety and environmental protection, a unified mandatory national standard will be introduced.

Associations, commerce chambers and industrial technology alliances are encouraged to set standards that meet the needs of the market and innovation.

Foreign-invested enterprises will be given more chances to join China in setting up standards with the aim to make Chinese products more competitive and popular internationally.