Premier Li Keqiang (center), Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa (front row, first left) and other senior leaders visit the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on Wednesday. Xu Jingxing / China Daily

Premier Li Keqiang criticized the slower development of service industries compared with the rest of the economy, pledging on Tuesday to speed up growth in the sector to create more urban jobs.

One focus of the central government is to let service industries play a bigger role in boosting growth and creating new jobs, Li said in his keynote speech at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing.