Further steps have been taken to deepen reform in all respects, including removing institutional barriers and boosting driving forces. The performance of SOEs has been improved, with profits growing by 23.5 percent in 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday, in an annual government work report to lawmakers during the opening meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China’s national legislature, which is being held in Beijing from March 5 to 20.‍