BEIJING — Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai on Tuesday stressed innovation in developing the new energy vehicle (NEV) market.

China's NEV market has made good progress and continues to improve, said Ma, who chaired a meeting on NEV development.

The output, sales and ownership of NEV in China all accounted for more than half of global levels last year, Ma said during the meeting.

Ma cited batteries, charging technology, NEV design and support policies as priorities.

More research should be carried out in batteries and charging technology, and the construction of charging facilities should be accelerated, said Ma.

Ma called for more support for NEV development.

He also stressed coordination of the industrial layout, noting that the market access should be strict to prevent irrational development.