China's premier warns worst-performing provinces to boost economic growth
Li issues rallying call to provincial leaders ahead of release of first-quarter GDP figures that could show easing growth in the economy
Premier Li Keqiang has urged leaders of the northeastern provinces to meet their economic growth targets this year, after the region - the country's "rust belt" industrial base and home to 120 million people - registered the nation's worst performance last year.
The unusual rallying call by Li, during a tour last week to Changchun , capital of Jilin province, has raised speculation that first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) figures, due on Wednesday, will show cooling growth in the national economy.
"The three northeastern provinces must guarantee their annual economic and social development targets are met smoothly," Li told provincial leaders, according to a government statement on Saturday.
"People's job security and improvements in income aren't castles in the air. They must be bolstered by a certain speed of economic development."
Last week, Liu He, an economic adviser to President Xi Jinping , also embarked on a trip to hear feedback on economic policy, reform and innovation from local government heads and enterprise leaders in Shanghai, Jiangsu , Guangdong and a few other provinces.
"The economic situation isn't optimistic judging from advanced indicators released so far," Steven Zhang, a senior economist with Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities, told the South China Morning Post.
"The government officials are investigating how bad the situation is and seeking solutions to cope with the downward pressures."