Vice premier urges smooth, unremitting institutional reform

BEIJING -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Saturday called for unremitting efforts to smoothly advance institutional reform of the State Council.

Han, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a State Council meeting on advancing the reform.

The fundamental aim of the reform is to transform government functions and optimize functions of its institutions, said Han, noting that government performance should be improved in all aspects.

"The government's functions of economic regulation and market supervision should be strengthened and improved, while micromanagement and direct intervention should be reduced," he said.

"The government's roles in public service and social management should be strengthened to ensure and improve people's living standards," he said.

Han also called for a smooth transition in the reform with no "unfulfilled responsibilities and undone jobs."

"The State Council's work and its institutional reform should facilitate each other," he said.

China announced a massive cabinet reshuffle plan earlier this month, which proposed the formation, merging and restructuring of multiple organs.