Chinese leader stressing eliminating poverty in C, W China

WUHAN -- Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang urged more efforts to boost the opening-up and economic progress of poverty-hit areas in central and western China while building a moderately prosperous society.

China has the determination and perseverance to eradicate poverty and achieve modernization in its mountainous regions, Li said during a four-day inspection tour in Jiangxi and Hubei provinces that wrapped up Sunday.

He also pledged to address problems that occur when migrant workers try to integrate into cities.

Migrant workers have become a vital new force for urban construction, he said while chatting with local workers in their residence in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province.

During the tour, he said the central government will create a fair environment for small and medium-sized enterprises, which have made great contributions to helping economic growth and increasing employment.

When inspecting Jiujiang Port, Li called for strengthened efforts to develop regions along the Yangtze River and nurture a new source of growth for China's economy.

The Yangtze River, connecting the well-off eastern regions and the less-developed west, is the country's "golden channel" for passenger and goods transportation.