BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was conspicuously silent on the "Made in China 2025" initiative as he spoke at the opening session of the National People's Congress, the country's parliament, on Tuesday, in a likely acknowledgment of harsh U.S. criticism against Beijing's pet industry-building program.
This is the first time Li stayed silent on the program in his annual report to the congress since 2015, when he first introduced it. He mentioned it twice in last year's report. Other top officials and state news media have already been shying away from the topic for some time.
