Li pledges to tighten debt oversight

Government to manage liquidity in line with monetary growth

China's overall debt level is in a safe and controllable range, Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday, pledging to continually strengthen the auditing of loans by local governments to limit potential risks.

"The central government will continue to strictly control the deficit rate," Li said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 21st International Congress of Supreme Audit Institutions, which opened on Tuesday and runs through Saturday in Beijing.