Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang talks to a worker during his visit to a company in Tianjin, Feb 23, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

TIANJIN - Development support will be provided to China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang has pledged.

During his two-day inspection tour in the northern port city of Tianjin that ended on Friday, Zhang called for favorable policies and market environment, as well as better social services and publicity for SMEs.

Zhang said he believes the development of SMEs and private businesses will help the country achieve common prosperity and build itself into a moderately prosperous society.

"SMEs are an important force to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must... unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of non-public sectors of the economy," he said.

Zhang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged efforts to remove development hurdles for SMEs and advocated entrepreneurship.

The official stressed the importance of the restructuring of SMEs' development pattern and wider accessibility of public services and technologies in their development.

"We must... speed up the restructuring of SMEs' development pattern, greatly improve the quality and efficiency of their development, and ensure more jobs are created, practical benefits harvested, the social security network improved and living standards raised through SMEs' development," he said.