Premier Wen Jiabao has called for more efforts to maintain the country's economic momentum in the face of challenges and difficulties.

Wen made the call during an inspection tour to the northeastern Liaoning Province, one of the nation's oldest industrial bases.

China's economic performance has been "generally good" this year, as the country's economic growth has relied more on inner drives than government stimulus, said Wen.

"But there are still uncertainties in both the domestic and external markets...We should be confident of further growth while remaining sober-minded for any potential risks and difficulties," he said.

The tour from Sunday to Monday took Wen to the cities of Benxi and Shenyang, where he visited steel factories, bio-medical companies, machine manufacturers and IT firms.

China should rely on self-innovation and talents to achieve economic restructuring and strengthen its economic power, he said.

During the trip, Wen visited marketplaces and construction sites of low-rent housing projects in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning, to examine food prices and the progress of affordable housing construction, which are major public concerns.

Controlling the surge in consumer prices was still high on the government's agenda, Wen said.

Wen visited relocated residents to learn about their lives in their new homes.

On Monday afternoon, he held talks with representatives from provinces of Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong on the latest economic developments in the four regions.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2011)