Premier Li: You asked a very important question. The transformation of government functions was high on the agenda during our first term. We saw the effort to streamline administration, delegate powers, and improve compliance oversight and government services as pivotal to getting the relationship between the government and the market right, which will further stimulate market vitality and public creativity. I’m happy to say that our efforts have paid off, and these measures have become an effective means for further reforming government functions and for unleashing and developing the productive forces.

这次两会期间，我到代表团、联组会参加审议和讨论，不少代表委员都提出，在推进供给侧结构性改革的时候，政府要着力推动优化营商环境，提供办事便利，这可以说是市场主体和人民群众对改革比较迫切的愿望，他们提的有很多看似小问题，实际上连着大政策。我们要见端知本，改革就是要把突破点推向离市场、群众最近的地方，把民之所望作为改革所向。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

In my discussions with them during this year’s “Two Sessions”, many delegates raised the hope that in pursuing supply-side structural reforms, the government will focus more on improving the business environment and making things easier for people to get things done. These voices represent the high expectation of market entities and our people for further actions. The issues they raise may seem small, yet they bear on major policy decisions. We must heed this call by tackling the root of the problems and pushing for breakthroughs in areas most closely related to the market and to the lives of our citizens to better respond to their needs.

“天下大事必作于细”。在放宽市场准入方面，今年要在六个方面下硬功夫，也可以把它形象地说成是六个“一”，那就是企业开办时间再减一半；项目审批时间再砍一半；政务服务一网办通；企业和群众办事力争只进一扇门；最多跑一次；凡是没有法律法规依据的证明一律取消。现在我们开办企业的时间经过几年的努力，可以说已经降了不少，但是全国平均还要22天，而在一些发达国家，只需要不到一天的时间。我们项目施工许可的办理时间就更长了，所以必须减繁。这六个“一”都是减，再加上减税、减费，这些都是动政府“奶酪”的，是伤筋动骨的改革。

As we say in Chinese, every single detail counts in the accomplishment of big tasks. Going forward, these are the 6 things we plan to do. We’ll cut the time it takes for opening a business by another half; we will reduce the time required for reviewing a project application by another half; we will put in place, at the national level, an e-platform for accessing government services; we will work to see that our people can get things done in one office, without the need for a second trip; and we will ensure that any requirement for certification that has no basis in law or regulations will be abolished.

Thanks to efforts in recent years, we have significantly cut the time required for opening a business in our country. But it still takes 22 days on national average, whereas it takes maybe less than a day in a developed country. And it takes even longer for one to get a project permit in China. So, with regulatory streamlining and further tax and fee cuts, we are making profound adjustments to government functions. This is like moving the government’s own cheese.

当然，要放得开，还必须管得住、管得好。我们要加强事中事后监管，就是要管住市场秩序，对那些假冒伪劣、坑蒙拐骗、欺行霸市，乃至搞不正当垄断的，就要把它驱逐出市场，甚至严加惩罚，因为它妨碍公平、阻碍创新，也有悖社会道德。市场活力和人文精神是相辅相成的。当然，我们加强监管，也要注意防止扰民。比如这次机构改革，我们就把涉及市场监管的一些部门合并了，推进综合执法，避免多个“大盖帽”去管一个小商贩。

Any regulatory streamlining can only serve its purpose when supported with enhanced compliance oversight, which helps to enforce market order. All acts of malpractice involving cheating in the marketplace, making or selling fake or substandard goods, or running unlawful monopolies, will be dealt with in strict accordance with the law and banned from the market, as they are the enemy of fairness and innovation and go against social ethics.

We believe that a vibrant market and care for the people should go hand in hand. Compliance oversight should not cause undue inconveniences to average citizens. In this round of government institutional reform, for example, we have decided to merge the various market regulatory bodies in order to slim down the bloated ranks of officials who deal with market entities on a daily basis and exercise unified law enforcement.

刚才第一位记者讲到两会的时候提到机构改革，这次国务院机构改革还包括了国税和地税的合并，这令我想起了一件事。我参加一次座谈会，有专家跟我说他去调研时发现，在餐馆里边吃饭是由地税向餐馆收营业税，而要打包带走就由国税来收增值税。他问当地有关方面，要是站在餐馆门槛上吃该由哪个部门来收税啊？当时对方给他的回答是“你这是抬杠”。但在现实当中的确有这样的事情。我们这几年通过推动营改增、取消营业税，实现了税收以共享税为主，这样国税、地税合并就有了基础，可以避免多头收税、干扰企业的行为。所以放要放出活力，管要管出公平。管也是要触动利益的。微博@高斋翻硕 公众号:高斋翻译学堂

The first reporter who asked a question mentioned this round of government institutional reform. One part of it is to combine the state and local tax offices at and below the provincial-level. This actually reminds me of a recent discussion I had with a group of scholars. One of these experts had been doing some local research, and discovered that if you sit and eat in a restaurant, the local tax office collects business tax. But if you order takeaway, the state tax office collects VAT. So he asked a tax officer: what if I stand and eat in the doorway of the restaurant? Who collects the tax then? The officer replied, “That’s just nitpicking for the sake of it.” But actually, it’s true that this kind of problem exists.

In recent years, as you may know, we have introduced the reform to replace business tax with value added tax. This has enabled the sharing of tax revenues and provided the foundation for the merging of tax authorities at the central and local levels to avoid duplications that burden businesses. So all in all, our regulatory rollback and compliance oversight will contribute to a more energized market and the creation of a level playing field. I should also add that vested interests will be dealt with in the enhanced compliance oversight process.

“利民之事，丝发必兴”。推进改革、做好政府工作，就是要为公、唯实、利民。我们要努力为市场主体优化营商环境、为人民群众提供办事便利，敢于自我革命。只要是为了人民的利益，我们万难不辞、万险不避。

Nothing is too small for us to do if it delivers concrete benefits to our people. The ultimate purpose of all reform measures and endeavors of the government is to serve the common good, be results-oriented, and benefit the people. In this regard, the government will further reform itself to foster a better business environment for market players, and make it easier for our people to access government services. In so doing, this government will rise up to all challenges and press ahead against all odds.

韩联社记者：随着韩朝双方商定下月举行首脑会谈，朝鲜表明无核化意愿，美国总统特朗普同意同朝鲜领导人会晤，近来朝鲜半岛局势出现较大变化。在此情况下，中方对解决半岛问题有何期待？将为此发挥何种作用？中方是否还会继续推进六方会谈以解决半岛问题？

Yonhap News: There have been significant developments on the Korean Peninsula recently, with an inter-Korean summit planned for next month, the DPRK indicating willingness to denuclearize, and the US President agreeing to meet with the North Korean leader. Under such circumstances, I would like to ask, Mr. Premier, what does China expect from the settlement of the Korean nuclear issue and what role is China prepared to play to this end? Will China push forward the Six-Party Talks to resolve the nuclear issue?

李克强：我们乐见半岛出现缓和的趋势，也支持一切有利于通过对话谈判解决半岛核问题的努力，中方会尽最大努力来推动和实现半岛无核化、维护和保持半岛和平稳定。我们希望看到各方拿出诚意，付诸行动，尽快把半岛核问题拉回到谈判桌上来，使半岛无核化与半岛和平稳定能有新的进展，这对有关各方、对世界都是好事。半岛是我们的近邻，直接和中国的利益攸关，我们的关注度是可想而知的。

Premier Li: We welcome the recent de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. China supports all efforts that are conducive to the resolution of the Korean nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation. China will continue to do all it can to take forward the denuclearization process and uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We hope that all parties will show sincerity and take concrete actions to get the nuclear issue back to the track of negotiation and strive for new progress towards denuclearization and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We believe this serves the interests of all parties and the world at large.

The Korean Peninsula is in China’s close neighborhood. China’s own interests are at stake. So you can well imagine how concerned we are with the situation there.

中央电视台记者：现在有一些民营企业家担心财产得不到有效保护，心里没有安全感，不敢投资，甚至有一些还在想方设法地向外转移资产，在有些地方还出现了一些企业家投诉政府的不作为和乱作为的情况。您对此怎么看？针对这样的问题打算怎么解决？