Free trade zone action to speed up

China will speed up its strategy for free trade zones, a key initiative in further opening up, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday as he joined a discussion with lawmakers from Shanghai, where the country's first such zone was established.

Institutional innovation will provide a strong impetus for development, and high standards should be set for trade and investment, he said at the meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing National People's Congress annual session.

"Innovation is the most important driving force for development," Xi said, adding that China needs to break through "system and mechanism barriers" to innovation.