A policy of “seeking progress while maintaining stability” is the central theme to this year’s economic work programme, President, Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

At a meeting of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr Xi said the policy would ensure the nation’s stable and healthy development.

“China will strive to improve the quality and efficiency of the economy and deepen supply-side structural reform,” the government-run news agency Xinhua quoted Mr Xi as saying.

“China will accelerate building a supervision coordination mechanism and strengthen macro-prudential regulation to prevent systemic risks,” he said of managing the economy.