Li: The pain of reform's 'knife' must be endured

Number, health of new enterprises are keymetrics for gauging economy, premier says

At his annual news conference last week, Premier Li Keqiang compared the pain of governmental self-reform to "taking a knife to one's own flesh". On Friday, he said the pain must be endured, both to limit power and to invigorate the market in an economic slowdown.

At least 10,000 new businesses should be opened every day, Li said on Friday during a visit to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, China's chief government organ responsible for business registration and market supervision.