"China must ‘expand domestic demand’ as economy shrinks"—Premier Li

The Premier is the technocrat's technocrat.
HT up front to the Asia Times for the pointer to the symposium:

Premier Li Keqiang tells Beijing symposium that more investment in public services and infrastructure is needed 

China must encourage the expansion of domestic consumption and increase effective investment in public services and infrastructure, said Premier Li Keqiang at a symposium in Beijing, according to an announcement on the government’s website on Wednesday.

Li presided over the symposium to listen to the opinions and suggestions of experts, scholars and business people on the draft version of the Government Work Report.

Li confirmed that downward pressure on the economy has increased this year. In some areas, a lack of confidence has affected market performance, which the government must urgently address....MORE

And from the South China Morning Post:

China Premier Li Keqiang invites harsh words on economy from private sector top brass

• Premier Li listens to liberal economists and private business delegates for feedback on his government work report
• Li’s hearing came as China economy faces big challenges in 2019

Chinese premier Li Keqiang has asked economists and entrepreneurs to critique his government work report, which is expected to lay out the government’s economic policies for 2019.

Li invited some of China’s most celebrated figures in business and economics to give him feedback that “may hurt the ear or stab the heart”, at a time when China’s economy continues to face serious headwinds.

Those present included Alibaba chairman Jack Ma Yun, China First Heavy Industries’ chairman Liu Mingzhong, Tao Dong, senior adviser and economist with Credit Suisse Private Banking Asia-Pacific, and Yu Yongding, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), according to a detailed record published on the Chinese government website.

Ma, the founder of Alibaba, told Li that his words might be harsh and unpleasant, but that he was not speaking on behalf of the 30 million merchants on his company’s e-commerce platforms.

“We must allow the people and the market players to ‘complain’, and for the words to be harsh,” said Li.

“Not only must the government allow everyone to speak, it must listen carefully. If it is the right thing to do, it should adjust its policies. If it isn’t right then it needs to be explained why. We can work together to gather the greatest consensus and leverage proactiveness from all sides,” he added....MORE