DALIAN, Sept. 7 -- The nation is committed to comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday.

The economy, on the whole, is in good shape, but is still hindered by unstable factors, imbalances and lack of sustainability, he said.

Wen was speaking to thousands of global business leaders, government officials and academics at the summer meeting of the World Economic Forum, or Summer Davos, in the coastal city of Northeast China. [read Wen's speech]

The problems include excessively rapid economic growth, acute structural tensions, inefficient pattern of growth, depletion of resources and environmental degradation, mounting pressure on prices and entrenched structural and institutional obstacles, he said.

"To resolve these problems, we are putting into practice scientific thinking on development and pursuing an innovation-based model of development.

"We are fully confident that China's development momentum will continue."

The optimism is based on the country's growing market, well-trained labor force, dynamic companies that pursue innovation, and social and political stability.

"What we need to do is pursue the right policies and be able to adapt to change to fully seize the opportunities and make good use of these favorable conditions," Wen said.

He reiterated that the opening-up policy will remain unchanged, and pledged that the country will improve laws and regulations governing foreign economic activities to make them more compatible with international practices and World Trade Organization rules.

"I was impressed by his vision of China's future," said Yuri Poluneev, president of MIM-Kyiv, an international management institute which offers MBA degrees to professional managers.

"That future, according to how I understood it, is the continuation of reforms to create a more competitive, innovative, dynamic new economy, which is based on fair competition," Poluneev said.

In addition to outlining the country's development strategy, Wen also answered questions from the audience as well as Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum who chaired the event.

Wen said he has observed a group of domestic "new champions" emerging in the telecommunication and hi-tech industries. "They should be the leaders of innovation" and be "more brave, consistent and responsible" in their innovation.